The Infection
by blindllama
Summary: In Bikini Bottom, there is an outbreak. Can Spongebob and his friends (And Squidward) stop it?
1. Beginning

It was a warm summer night in Bikini Bottom. The fish were sleeping, reading, or watching TV. On Conch Street, in the pineapple, a window crashing was heard.

"What was that?" Spongebob said to himself.

"Meow," said the snail.

Spongebob walked down the hall and into the living area. There, stood a fish wearing a ski mask armed with a baseball bat.

"DON'T MOVE A FREAKIN' MUSCLE!" The fish shouted.

Spongebob panicked. He didn't know what to do, so he did what he knew best. He ran back up the stairs, but the snail charged at the threat.

"Gary!" Spongebob yelled.

The snail continued to charge at the figure. The figure started to swing, but missed continually. Gary continued to run at the burglar, and eventually caught up. Gary opened wide, and clamped on the figure's leg.

"OWW!" The burglar shrieked.

The figure huddled over in pain, and eventually fell on the ground, blood trickling from the bitten leg. As he lay on the cold ground, the burglar had stopped moving. He had died. Later that night, Spongebob had heard a knock. The sponge walked over to his door and opened it. It was Patrick.

"Spongebob! I heard a window smash! Are you okay?" Patrick asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. A burglar came in and tried to hurt me and Gary. I called the police." Spongebob responded.

Patrick did all he could to comfort his friend. Later, the sounds of police sirens filled the cool air.


	2. Outbreak

Later, the police arrived.

"Did the burglar try to take anything?" The officer asked,

"No, he just tried to hurt me and my snail." Spongebob responded.

"Yeah, and the snail bit him." Patrick said.

The police were taking pictures and finding evidence. They found out that the burglar had trace amounts of Mad Snail Disease.

"Are you aware that your snail has MSD?'' One of the officers asked.

"Mad Snail Disease? Wasn't that a hoax?" The sponge asked.

"No, it's very real. It's rare, but ever since that oil spill fiasco, fish and snails have been acting all kinds of strange." The officer said.

"Like how?" Patrick asked.

"Like that whole incident in New Kelp City. You know, the one fish killing all those people. The city is starting to be quarantined."

"Really? Should I take Gary to the vet?'' Spongebob asked.

"No, the disease is minor. Just give him-

A load groaning interrupted the officer. The detectives and forensics looked at the tarp where the body was. It was moving. The burglar got up and limped toward the forensic officer.

"AUGGH!" The creature yelled.

The fish bit the forensic. The forensic fell onto the ground, blood pooling. The police fish pulled a gun on the creature and opened fire. The fish was a horrible shot, and was bitten by the creature. Now there were two zombies limping towards Spongebob and Patrick.

"Patrick, we got to get to the Krusty Krab!" Spongebob yelled.

"COME ON, SPONGEBOB!" Patrick screamed.

They wasted no time, bolting for the door.

"Wait, what about Gary?" The sponge asked.

"Reeorr!" The snail meowed. The snail had turned.

"Never mind, c'mon Patrick!"

The two made it to the door, and rushed away. They were headed for the Krusty Krab.


	3. Reunion

The two were close to the Krusty Krab.

" C'mon, Pat, we can do this!" The sponge said.

"So…close." The starfish said.

By the time they had got to the restaurant, they were out of breath.

"Thank Neptune! We made it!" Spongebob said excitedly.

They walked in the double doors and blocked it with whatever they could. Tables, barrels, you name it. Finally they had rested.

"We really dodged a bullet there, Patrick." The sponge said.

"Yeah, I'm glad we could make it. I could use a Krabby Patty right now." The starfish said.

"Good idea. I'll whip a couple up."

As Spongebob walked into the kitchen, he heard a noise. He walked towards Mr. Krab's office armed with his spatula. He slowly opened the door.

"Oh, please, don't hurt me." The crab said weakly.

"Don't worry, it's just me, Mr. Krabs."

"Spongebob? Spongebob! Thank Neptune you're okay!"

"What's going on?" said Spongebob.

"It's terrible! There's this disease that turning people into zombies!" The crab said.

"That explains the creatures back at the pineapple. Can we stop them?" Spongebob asked.

"Aye lad, I've heard that a blow to the head is strong enough to kill 'em."

Suddenly, a loud knocking was heard. Spongebob and Mr. Krabs rushed toward the entrance. It was Squidward.

"PLEASE! JUST LET ME IN! I'M NOT BITTEN, I SWEAR!" The squid yelled whilst banging on the glass.

"How do I know you're not bitten?" Patrick asked.

"PATRICK!" Spongebob yelled. " Let him in!"

The starfish obeyed the sponge and moved the stuff blocking the door. Once Squidward got in, they moved it back.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" The confused squid asked.

"What happened to you?" Mr. Krabs asked.

"I was sleeping, and something knocks on my door. I walk down, and there were three creatures. Next thing I know, they break my windows and get into my house!" Squidward responded.

Then, there was a loud bang. The group looked over, and saw not one, not two, but a whole horde of zombie fish. The group screamed in terror.

"How are we gonna solve this?" Patrick asked.

" We fight." Mr. Krabs said. "C'mon, I got some guns in my office from the Navy.


	4. The First Fight

The group walked into Mr. Krab's office. Mr. Krabs pulled out a key and unlocked a floorboard. In it, there was a case full of guns. The group grabbed whatever they could. They went back to the dining area. The zombies were still there. They kicked over tables and chairs for cover.

"You ready?" Spongebob asked Patrick.

"Born ready."

"Then let's do this." Spongebob and Patrick moved the makeshift barrier and braced for attack.

"Here they come." Said the squid.

The zombies broke open the door and rushed in, hungry for fresh meat. The group opened fire at the zombies. Blood and lead were raining down on the zombies and the group. The zombies continued rushing at them as the group kept shooting.

"I'm out!" Said Patrick.

"Here, take this!" Mr. Krabs said as he gave Patrick an axe.

Patrick took the axe and started swinging. Hacking and slashing, the starfish chopped anything that moved.

"Wow, he's good." Spongebob said.

Soon enough, there were no more zombies left.

"That was a rush." Squidward said.

"What do we do now?" asked Spongebob.

"We should try to get out of the Krusty Krab and find supplies." Mr. Krabs said.

"Good idea. We should also get Sandy. She'll know what to do." Spongebob said.

"Alright. Let's get moving." Said Squidward.

The gang hopped into a boat. With Mr. Krabs at the wheel, the raced downtown. Looking around, they noticed how quick the destruction spread. What was once flamboyant, bustling downtown was now a ghost town. Burnt buildings, crashed boats, bent parking meters, the destruction was awful, and the dark red sky complimented the destroyed city.

"All of it. It's gone. Everything is dead." The sponge thought.

The group eventually made it to the Barg'N-Mart. The group walked in, taking notice of the zombies. Luckily, the trio brought the guns. The smell of smoke and blood filled the air after they had cleared out the store.

"Take only what you need." Mr. Krabs said.

The group grabbed shopping carts, and filled them up with what they needed. Spongebob took some food; Mr. Krabs took some first aid supplies, Squidward took some lotion, and Patrick took all the junk food. They unloaded the items into the car, and went off to pick up Sandy.

"Spongebob, how far is it?" Mr. Krabs asked.

"Not too far. It's just up ahead."

Once the gang reached the house, they stared in awe at it. The dome was destroyed, the tree tipped, and zombies attacking.


	5. A New Breed

The group stared at the destroyed treedome. They armed themselves and prepared for battle. The zombies took notice and rushed at the group. They opened fire and killed almost every zombie there. **Almost.** A new breed had showed up, nothing like the group had ever seen before. Long thin appendages protruded from the zombie's thin, gangly body. It let out a bloodcurdling screech.

"I don't think we can take this one on." Squidward said.

"Don't give up now, Mr. Squidward. We can defeat this one." Mr. Krabs said.

The zombie lunged at the group, and the group fought back. Patrick was hacking and slashing, Spongebob shooting like crazy, Squidward spraying his machine gun all over the creatures body, and Mr. Krabs trying not to die of a heart attack.

"WE'RE LOSING THE FIGHT!" Spongebob said.

"KEEP FIGHTING!" Mr. Krabs said.

"HI-YAHHH!" Screamed an unknown voice.

The group looked up. It was Sandy! Thank Neptune!

"You guys aren't dying on my watch! HEE-YAHH! Sandy said.

Sandy and the creature wrestled Sandy pinned the creature, and vice versa. Sandy held it down, and Spongebob shoved his gun in its mouth.

"Eat this." The brave sponge said. BANG. The creature was dead.

The group stared in awe at the sponge's new bravery. He wasn't afraid anymore.

"Wow! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Said the overlapping voices.

"Please, it was all Sandy. Thank her, not me." Spongebob said.

"It wasn't all me, it was you too, Spongebob. In fact, it was all of you. " Sandy said.

"Enough with all the thanking. Sandy, Can you make a cure?" Squidward asked.

"I'll need a sample." Sandy said.

"We've got plenty." Spongebob said as he pointed to the piles of zombies.

"I need the first zombie. You know, the first to turn?" She said.

"Why?" Patrick asked.

"Because it's the purest sample." She responded.

The group was ready to get back to Conch Street. But unfortunately, the boat broke down.

"What do we do now?" Mr. Krabs asked.

"We walk back. It's not that hard." Squidward said.

"But it's gonna take a while." We should make it." Sandy said.

"Can't you build a helicopter or something?" Mr. Krabs asked.

"No, there aren't enough parts." She responded.

"Dammit, why would this happen?" Squidward said.

Suddenly, the group thought the exact same thing.

"Plankton." Spongebob said.


	6. That Little Cretin

"This is all that little cretin's fault." Squidward said.

"Yeah, if he didn't start it, we would have not gone through this." Mr. Krabs said.

"Yeah, and he took my Kelp Crunch!" Patrick said.

"Patrick, we're not talking about that." Spongebob said.

"Oh. Okay." The starfish stared blankly.

"C'mon, we got to go talk to that criminal!" Sandy said!

The group was ready to go to the Chum Bucket and force him to explain what he did and why he did it. The group was ready to storm the Chum Bucket. They raced toward Plankton's failing restaurant. Meanwhile, Plankton was struggling to cope with what he created.

"I can't believe I've created a monster. I can't stop it." Plankton said, depressed.

"But now you can steal the formula! If anything, this is you're most successful scheme yet!" His computer wife, Karen said.

"What's the point? There's no one I can sell a Krabby Patty to! It's pointless! POINTLESS!"

The amoeba lay on the cold hard floor of the Chum Bucket.

"I may as well grind myself into chum."

Plankton walked toward the grinding room, below the restaurant. Plankton went towards the on switch. He flipped it.

"CHUM GRINDER ON." Said a robotic voice.

The machinery started to whir. Plankton was standing on the rim.

"Goodbye, world."

As he was about to jump in, he heard the doors slam open.

"Alright, where are you, you little formula thieving scumbag?" Mr. Krabs said.

Plankton gasped. "Could it be? Survivors?"

Plankton went out of the grinder and back up to the lab. He looked at the group, and smiled.

"There he is!" Patrick said.

"Get him!" Sandy said.

The group rushed at Plankton and started questioning him.

"Why would you do this? I want my family back! Fix this!" The group shouted.

"ALRIGHT! I'll explain it all. 3 days ago..


	7. 3 Days Earlier

3 DAYS EARLIER

"Finally! I've perfected the virus! With this, I can decimate the entire ocean! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Plankton said, holding up a vial of dark liquid.

It was 3 days before the ordeal, and Plankton was going to release a Bio-Weapon to decimate the ocean. He wasn't trying to steal the formula; he wanted war. He realized he couldn't get the formula, so he was going to cause mass genocide.

"I've had enough of the crab and the sponge. I will end their pathetic lives once and for all."

"Plankton, don't you think you should think about this?" Said Karen.

"Zip it, Karen. I'm not putting up with you." Plankton said, shutting off his wife

"No, NO! N—" Karen said, being cut off.

"With her out of the way, I can kill EVERYONE!"

Plankton loaded the virus into a missile. The amoeba thought, "Should I go through with this? **YES."** He hit the launch button, and watched as the rocket soared high into the sky. The next day, Plankton woke up and turned on the news.

"Oil Spill in New Kelp City, says some inhabitants. Early this morning, a black cloud swallowed the city in darkness at 6:08 am, trapping the Lower East Side. The half of the city has been evacuated. The area is attempting to be quarantined. This is Perch Perkins with your daily dose of news."

Plankton smiled deviously. "My plan is coming into effect quite nicely."

The day before the outbreak, Plankton watched the last airing of the news.

"Hello, this is…. Perch Perkins… with….the scoop, in New Kelp City…. about the oil spill….Fish have been reported to have been attacking other fish….in a cannibalistic rage….Locals seem to have reported dead loved ones walking, oh….Neptune… other fish have called them zombies, AVOID NEW KELP CITY AT ALL COSTS…." Perch groaned, and fell over.

"Perch? Perch, are you okay?" The cameraman asked.

'REUUGGH!" Yelled Perch.

The camera fell over.

Plankton knew that they would quarantine the city, so he injected Gary so he could spread it. Then, he sent a hitman to kill Spongebob, knowing full well the snail would bite him. He then started experimenting with new breeds, such as snail-fish hybrids. He then barricaded the Chum Bucket, and waited out the Infection.

 _ **THE OUTBREAK HAD BEGUN.**_


	8. Scavenger Hunt

"…and that's what happened." Plankton said, finishing the story.

"You were going to kill me?" Spongebob asked, angrily.

"No, I knew that Gary would bite him, spreading the virus. Or you, depending on who got bitten first." Plankton responded.

Spongebob sank into a chair, wondering, "That could've been me." Mr. Krabs decided to give him a piece of his mind.

"YOU WERE GOING TO KILL ME BEST FRY COOK?" the crab shouted.

"No, I was going to kill you and everyone in Bikini Bottom. I hoped that maybe I could've cleansed the world. The disease doesn't affect me, or any amoeba for that matter. I hoped that my race would reign supreme."

The gang stared at Plankton, amazed at how something so small, could cause a global epidemic.

"Can you make a cure?" asked Patrick.

"Yes, but the ingredients are in New Kelp City, and we don't have any transport to get there," said Plankton.

"We could scavenge for parts. If we're lucky, we can find another boat or even a bus." Sandy said.

"Good idea. While we're at it, why don't we stick ourselves in the center of town, surrounded by zombies, with nothing to defend ourselves with." Squidward said.

"Why do you have to be so rude?" Sandy said.

"Because we have no chance of living." Squidward responded.

"Enough. We can make it. We can save Bikini Bottom. We just need to start scavenging. The junkyard is not too far off, and I think there's a boat shop off Shell Boulevard." Spongebob said.

The group looked at Spongebob in awe. They had not seen this side of him before.

"He's right. We need to stay positive. If we're lucky, we can find an engine." Sandy said.

"I have some walkie talkies, if that helps." Patrick said.

"We'll split up into two teams. Squidward, Spongebob, Patrick, you look for the boat shop. Me, Sandy, and Plankton will look for parts in the junkyard." Mr. Krabs said.

"Alright. Let's do this." Squidward.

The group split up. Squidward, Spongebob, and Patrick were going left, while Mr. Krabs, Sandy, and Plankton went right. The first group was walking down an old road, and entered downtown.

"There it is, Shell Boulevard. The boat shop shouldn't be that far." Said Spongebob.

The group was close to the center of town, when they realized, they forgot the guns.

"Oh crap, we forgot the guns!" Squidward said.

"We can make it, just as long as we don't make any sudden moves." Spongebob said.

"Yeah, we should make it." Patrick said.

The group was now in the center of town. Squidward decided to lean on a broken boat. However, this set off the car alarm.

BEEPBEEPBEEP! Shrieked the car.

The group flew into a panic. However, realizing that panicking wouldn't help, so they picked up whatever they could. Rocks, sticks, broken glass, anything they could find. The zombies came rushing at them.

"Let's do this!" Patrick said, and started swinging his plank at the zombie.

Spongebob started throwing rocks, Squidward started cutting the zombies with broken glass, doing whatever they could to fight.

"The boat shop is just up ahead!" Squidward said.

"C'mon, we can make it!

Meanwhile, on the other group, they were struggling to find parts.


	9. The Second Group

The second group desperately tried to find parts. They found pieces of sheet metal, a wheel, and a film reel.

"Come on, we got to do better than this." Sandy said.

"We're trying, but we just can't seem to find decent parts." Mr. Krabs said.

"I wonder how the other gang's doing." Plankton thought.

Suddenly, a loud screeching was heard. The group scanned the area, but found nothing. They continued to search for parts. Then, once more screeching was heard. The group stood together, back-to-back, looking for whatever made the sound.

"Okay, what was that?" Sandy asked, looking around.

"Oh no.." Plankton said. "GET DOWN!"

Suddenly, a beast swooped down upon the group. They evaded, just in time.

"HYBRID!" Plankton shouted.

He was right. The creature appeared to be one of the beasts from Rock Bottom, as if it was combined with a snail, of all things.

"I called it a fuser, meaning that it will absorb more creatures." Plankton said.

"WHAT?" Mr. Krabs shouted.

Then, the creature started to seal itself inside a chrysalis, and rose from it, completely new. It seemed to form a creature with a snails eyestalks, deformed legs, and new wings. It let out a bloodcurdling screech.

"HOLY FISHPASTE!" Mr. Krabs said.

The new beast had swooped down on them once more. The crustacean had ducked down to evade the beast's wings. The creature perched on top of a pile of junk. It screamed, and swooped down to kill Sandy.

"Not today, vermin!" Sandy said, kicking it in its stomach and knocking it to the ground.

Of course, the beast showed no sign of damage. Instead,

It crawled back onto its stubby legs, and lunged at Plankton. The amoeba scurried away, and hid under a dumpster. Mr. Krabs charged at it with a plank, and struck it upside the head. The beast turned around, and charged back at Mr. Krabs. The crab stood his ground, with his plank in front of him.

"Come on, you son of a fish!" The crab said.

The beast ran at Mr. Krabs, and Mr. Krabs ran at it. The beast slashed at Mr. Krabs, and Mr. Krabs swung at it. Then, when Mr. Krabs was about to die, Sandy and Plankton rushed in and saved him. The group stood their ground. They stared down at the beast. Then, they rushed in. Sandy karate kicked the beast all over, Mr. Krabs swung his plank like a madman, and Plankton was beating him with a bat. Wherever he got that from. Things looked dire for the beast, but, somehow, the beast fought back. The Beast shrieked. The group got knocked to the ground, and now, things looked dire for them. The beast then sealed itself into yet another chrysalis. Then, it rose, 10 feet tall, thin, and more teeth than a shark. The beast now also had four arms, but retained its wings. The creature then rose into the air, (Or in this case, water.) and flapped its wings. The beast then threw sharp crystals, however that was made. Sandy was pierced, Mr. Krabs was bleeding, and Plankton was lying down mangled. It was hopeless. The group waited for their inevitable demise. Then, a distant sound was heard. A motor. The beast came down and landed. The boat drove right through the beast, splitting it in half. The beast died almost instantly.

"Spongebob! Patrick!" Mr. Krabs said. "Oh, and Squidward."

"Just in time." Sandy said, as she was coughing. Her suit had just been breached.

"Oh no! Come on Pat and Squidward. We have to get them back to the Krusty Krab." Spongebob said. The group got into the boat, and set off for the Krusty Krab.


	10. The Return

The crew was racing to the Krusty Krab. If they didn't make it in time, Sandy would die. And that's terrible.

"This time, I'm driving." Said Patrick.

The group got into the boat. They drove downtown, as fast as possible. They sped by zombies, and past the Barg 'N' Mart.

"Mr. Krabs, your arm!" Spongebob said, noticing the blood on his arm.

"Aye, it's just a scratch." He responded. "Hurry Patrick!"

'I'm going as fast as I can!" The star responded.

The group was almost there. Sandy was struggling to breathe. Plankton was clinging to his life. A screech was heard. Something was hot on their trail. Another creature. Not a fuser, but something.

"Patrick, floor it!" Spongebob yelled.

The boat was moving as fast as it could. Another loud screech was heard. It was closer. The group was seconds away from the Krusty Krab. They drove in, and set Sandy and Plankton down.

Spongebob went looking for a pickle jar. Mr. Krabs tended to Plankton's wounds. Patirck and Squidward were sitting at a table, talking. Surprisingly.

"Do you think we'll make it through this?"

"Yeah. We need to stay together."

"Are they gonna be okay?"

"I pray to Neptune."

Spongebob rushed out the door with a pickle jar in his hands. He rushed to Sandy and shoved the jar onto her head. The group waited. And waited. But, Neptune had other plans. Sandy was dead. The group stared in horror. Spongebob was breaking down. Seeing the corpse of his dead friend HORRIFIED him. Then, the unthinkable happened. Sandy's fur turned from brown, to a clammy grey. Sandy rose, reanimated. She stumbled towards Spongebob. Sandy's death hurt him, but what would hurt even more, was what he had to do next.

"Krabs, get me a gun."

"But, we can cure her! If we get the ingredients, keep her alive, then we can cure-"

"Hand over a gun."

Mr. Krabs walked over to a gun vault, and pulled out a revolver. He handed over the gun. Spongebob raised the gun, and aimed at Sandy's head.

"Goodbye."

BANG.


End file.
